NCJ Number
209664
Journal
European Journal of Criminology Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: April 2005 Pages: 211-247
Date Published
April 2005
Length
37 pages
Annotation
This overview of crime, criminal justice, and criminology in Greece addresses trends in crime and punishment; reviews key criminological publications; and examines political debate, group interests, and law enforcement.
Abstract
Although criminal justice policy in Greece has historically been characterized by leniency, both in the law itself and in law enforcement, recent years have seen a trend from moderation toward greater severity. Crime patterns and the methods and organization of offenders are changing. Offenses such as serious armed robberies, aggravated thefts, and kidnapping, which have been rare in earlier years, have become more common; and there has been an increase in organized criminal groups. Rigorous law enforcement has been fueled by politicians, law enforcement specialists, and the media, but the general populace still favors the traditional leniency in criminal justice policy. Although sentence severity has increased, efforts to control prison crowding have led to many prison sentences being converted to fines, and those imprisoned are usually released early. Criminologists are increasingly participating on committees and in work groups of government ministries and other key institutions, and the involvement of criminologists in higher education is being maintained; however, what is missing is the identity of criminologists as a separate scientific community that presents distinctive arguments and perspectives as input for public policy and practice. There is also a need for intradisciplinary discourse and the setting of goals for the criminological enterprise, so as to facilitate timely contributions to the country's needs. 3 tables, 3 figures, and 98 references